


Red Heart, White Box

by professional_benaddict



Category: Captain America (Movies), Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Bodyguards Steve and Bucky, Gaslighting, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Keptboy Peter, M/M, Mafia AU, Manipulation, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Organ Theft, Surgery, Threats of Violence, Whump, mafia, mafia boss tony
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:07:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23805835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professional_benaddict/pseuds/professional_benaddict
Summary: One awful night, Peter is shot. Unable to go to the hospital, Tony has to find another way to save his precious boy. A shady doctor in an abandoned undergound becomes his saviour. Or enemy? What exactly did Stephen to do Peter in the makeshift OR? Bucky and Steve don't feel good about this.(A oneshot partly written with BreeBabyDoll)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, Karl Mordo & Stephen Strange, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Stephen Strange & Wong, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Stephen Strange
Comments: 18
Kudos: 40





	1. The Blood Stained Silk Shirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is shot, and Tony has some feelings.

It was quite common in their field of work, but still Tony was caught entirely off guard when a friend of his, well- now an enemy, pulled out the gun in the middle of their deal making and Peter dropped the lollipop he had been toying with all night. But, it was not until a shot was actually fired that the mafia boss realised how badly he had miscalculated the situation. It had been a risky deal from the start, but money was tight, very tight, so Tony had taken a risk, which he would regret for the rest of his life. 

Usually, Tony is hyper sensitive to these things, the slight raises in tone of voice, the tensing of someone’s jaw, how their fists clench or how fingers inch closer to a hidden weapon. But... tonight he had brought Peter along, and even worse, allowed him to go out in a low cut silk shirt that showed off his collarbones. The idea was that it would distract the ones Tony was dealing with, but instead it had backfired, and now the silk shirt was stained with blood.

Peter had been taken quite literally, off guard. The gunshot echoed around the room, ringing in Peter’s ears until that, along with the deafening silence, were the only things registered. The pain had hit him slow, creeping down his arm and across his chest, forcing the older teen’s eyes downward towards the source of discomfort. His eyes widened, seeing first the crimson red stains that soaked the collar and sleeve of his shirt, and then… Well, Peter was not quite sure what came after that. After realising that he was bleeding, profusely, it did not take long to put two and two together. He had been shot in the shoulder, and the bullet currently resided deep in the meat of his muscle. 

“T-Tony-“ Peter whimpered, shocked and pale as he stumbled forward, his uninjured arm reaching for his lover, his Daddy. Oh God, it hurt. It hurt so bad. Peter wanted to scream and sob, but he knew better. His weakness would be a sign to the rivalry members in the room, all eyes on him in utter surprise. Peter fought back the hot tears, dropping his hand to grab at his blood soaked shoulder just in time for him to collapse forward and to the floor. Peter was gonna faint... Fuck, it hurt so bad. 

“Peter... Fuck, Jesus, FUCK! PETER!” Tony bellowed in utter fright and took Peter into his arms, gently lowering the boy to the floor when he didn’t have the strength to stand on his own. “Wha- I- Peter, fuck, please... Just- stay with me...” Tony stuttered out, having no clue what to say or do. Thankfully, Steve, one of his bodyguards stepped forward, yanking the silk scarf from around Tony’s neck. He bawled up the expensive fabric and then pressed it to Peter’s wound that was oozing with blood. 

“He needs medical treatment.” Steve stated simply and surprisingly calmly. At first, Tony was furious at his employee for being so cold and heartless when his precious boy had been hurt, but then he realised that someone had to be calm. The boss was sort of glad he did not have to be the calm and rational one. 

“We can’t fucking go the hospital, you idiot!” Tony shouted. By now, the rivalry gang had fled the scene, but none of Tony’s gang really paid any attention to that.

Peter’s line of sight was fading. He could see Tony, he could feel him even, but everything came back muffled to his brain. The boy grimaced as an unknown figure, Peter was too out of it to comprehend it was Steve, pressed something against the wound, shifting the bullet, but slowing the blood. He hated how he could feel the panic radiating off from Tony, and whimpered as he lifted his bloodied hand to his Daddy’s face, and forced weak eye contact. 

“No...They’ll recognize you..” Peter groaned at the mention of hospital. The boy knew he needs medical attention, but he would rather die than risk Tony’s freedom. 

“Baby, it’s okay, it’s okay...” Tony practically whimpered when Peter lifted a bloody hand to his face. He cradled the hand in his own, kissing it quickly and passionately.

It was Bucky, Tony’s left hand man and equal status as Steve who stepped up to the plate. His voice was less calm compared to Rogers, but the guy had seen his fair share of blood and gunshot wounds. 

“There’s that guy- the uh Doctor that runs the underground clinic off 34th street. Strange, wasn’t it? Yeah...Stephen Strange.” Bucky suggests, quick to hand out the alternative option. It seemed their best bet. “Boss, If we’re gonna do it, we need to move now. Kid’s gonna bleed out in under an hour with a wound like that.” Bucky adds, his tone light and full of respect. No one disrespected the boss’ play thing.

Peter thought that the pain could not possibly get anymore worse. There was a shooting discomfort, searing up the left side of his body. It was too much. If it were not for Tony kissing at his fingers and breathily speaking to him, Peter might have let go and succumbed to unconsciousness already. Perhaps given up all together, but he would hold on for Tony. 

“Well, call him right fucking now! Let’s move!” Tony barked and with Steve’s help, he picked up Peter. They all headed out of the building and to their cars. When Bucky bolted into action, pulling out his ‘work’ phone, Peter realised what was going to happen. 

“No- NO! Don’t mov-“ But, his words were quickly swallowed as he is shifted from off the ground. Peter tried so hard to be strong, but nothing could hold back the shrill scream that flew from his lips. It eventually simmered down to a continuous whimper, and soft gasps of “a-ah!” whenever he was slid into lying in the backseat. Peter could only grasp on to Tony, breathing out in the tiniest of voices- “It hurts Daddy, it hurts so much.” 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...” Tony apologised, which he never does, but he did now when he moved Peter to the backseat, causing him pain in the process. “Stay with me, baby, stay with me.” The man pleaded. 

Bucky had taken the initiative to give this Doctor Strange a call, informing him of their impending arrival. He spoke into the phone loudly and clearly. 

“You better save this kid’s life, because yours just got hung on the line.” Then, Bucky hung up and slid into the driver’s seat. He waited just long enough for Peter, Tony and Steve to get settled before he slammed on the gas, and sped his way to their destination.

“Shh, it’s okay, I’m here, baby.” Tony comforted while keeping pressure on Peter’s still bleeding wound. How is there so much blood in his sweet little baby? Sure, the boss has seen ugly injuries and corpses plenty during his career, but this... This he could never have been prepared for. With his free hand, Tony stroked back Peter’s sweaty curls, trying to reassure and comfort him. But, it had little effect against the blinding pain that each little movement of the speeding car shot up Peter’s arm. “Peter, Peter- shhh... I’m here.” Tony tried to comfort and raised his voice to actually be heard over the boy’s screams. “How fucking far away is it?” Tony growled to his bodyguards in the front. 

“Ten minutes, sir.”

“Make that five.” The boss threatened lowly, and Bucky sped up without asking any questions.

Five minutes? Peter was not sure he could last more than two at this rate. He could feel the warmth of his blood run down his body, and all over Tony. His poor car, it would definitely need detailing after this. Peter should not be thinking about something as stupid as leather, but it was all he could do to cling on to his awakened state. 

“Two minutes out, boss. Doc said he’d be ready.” Bucky ran through all red lights with a breeze, flying through the streets and taking short cuts. For a split moment, on a particular harsh jerk of the vehicle, Peter wondered if he was going to die. He sobbed at the thought, shaking his head to grab at Tony’s attention. 

“Kill them.” Peter managed through clenched teeth. “When I-“ He paused to groan, throwing his head back. “- I die, kill them.” 

“Peter- Peter! Listen, you- you’re not gonna die on me. You hear me? I won’t fucking allow it!” Tony shouted angrily, tears prickling at his eyes, but he did not let them fall. Not knowing what else to do, the older man leaned down to kiss his boy, his precious little thing. “You know what? You’re gonna kill them yourself. You’re gonna kill them dead.” He added after pulling back, stroking at the boy’s cheek and spreading blood all over his cheek in the process. 

When they finally reached the destination, Steve double checked that it was the right place they had come to. He doubted Peter’s chances of making it would be good if they had to drive somewhere else. The place looked shady, and that said a lot with the standards that Steve was used to in this field. But, then a familiar looking figure exited through the back door and Steve knew they had come to the right place. Hopping out of the car, Steve greeted the doctor quickly before opening the back door. 

“It’s good to see you, Doc.” 

“Yeah, yeah, let’s just get him inside.” Stephen said.

Bucky was the second out of the car, overhearing Stephens orders. He was not usually one to jump at anyone’s commands, besides Tony’s, but this was dire circumstances. He helped Steve slide Peter out of the car, who now after being kissed and ready to give in to the pain, had passed out. The boy was pliant, practically lifeless and dead weight as they moved to get him inside. There was so much blood, and Peter was such a small thing. Even Bucky was on the latter when it came to the boy’s life expectancy. He lifted his eyes off from the boss’ babe, to lock on to Steve’s eyes in hope they shared a common thought. Peter better survive.

Tony wondered if he could ever get over the sight of Peter’s eyes closing like that after kissing him. The boy looked dead already, but he knew based on the hurry that Stephen urged after feeling the boy’s pulse that he was not. While Steve carried Peter bridal style, Stephen went ahead and opened the doors as he led the way inside. In his state of shock, Tony stumbled after them while Bucky took long, confident strides. It felt like an eternity, walking through the dark and damp hallways, but finally they reached a well light crossway that looked like a clinic. There was an exam table and an overhead lamp surrounded by equipment, machines and supplies. But, what looked the most odd in the underground place was the area sectioned off by plastic in one corner. Tony would later find out that it doubled as an OR in the underground clinic. 

“So, what happened?” Stephen asked, gesturing for Steve to lay Peter down on the exam table.

At the hinted gesture, Steve carefully placed Peter down on the table, careful not to make any sudden movements that would rouse the boy from his ‘sleep’. Bucky on the other hand, was not so nice. Steve was the muscle, and Bucky… Well he was there to get points across. With the boss mentally checking out for the evening, it looked like the explanation landed in his hands. 

“The hell does it look like? He got shot.” Bucky snapped, motioning his hand towards the bullet hole in Peter’s soaked shirt. “Don’t matter how it got there, point is, get it out.” He continued, harshly saying whatever was on his mind. Maybe Bucky was being a little too blunt, but he could not help it. If Peter did not pull through, both Steve and Bucky would be going through weeks, if not months of pain.

At Bucky’s harsh snap, Stephen briefly glanced up at him before focusing on examining Peter. After snapping on a pair of gloves, the doctor motioned for Steve to step aside to get a look at the wound. It was still bleeding, but not as heavily, so Stephen pressed some gauze to it. 

“I’ll get it out, but you guys will have to leave in the meantime. I can’t work if you’re buzzing around me.” Stephen said, his tone almost as matter of factly as Bucky’s. 

Bucky pulled a face at the doctor’s words, his jaw clenching tightly with mild irritation. Now was not the time. Down from one of the three hallways, two other medical professionals emerged, dressed in the same scrubs as Stephen. Bucky made room for the approaching medical staff, standing by the entrance to wait for further instruction from their boss.

“Gun shot wound, prep him and the OR.” The doctor told the two others, who promptly snapped into action. “Which blood type is he? And any allergies to medication?” Stephen asked, turning to the three gang members. Tony did not hesitate to answer, giving his baby boy one last lingering look. 

“He’s A+.” The boss stated, sounding more present now that they had gotten his boy to the medical help he required. He wanted to stay, to watch and make sure not a single finger harmed a hair on Peter’s head, but Steve was placing a comforting, albeit suggestive hand on his shoulder. 

“Sir, I think we should wait outside. They can’t focus with us all here… and I know you want them to be paying attention to Peter.” Steve spoke, soft and careful. Tony roughly shoved his shoulder free, but gave a curt nod. If it was for Peter, Tony would do anything. He turned, and abruptly made his exit without so much as a word to anyone. The boss had put up his emotional wall, preparing himself for the worst outcome should it happen. Bucky followed, and Steve, he was the last to leave.

“Okay, let’s get a unit of the O+.” Stephen ordered and the taller of the two others, Mordo, went to fetch it while Wong remained behind to help transport Peter to the section behind the plastic covers that doubled as an OR. 

Two hours or so later, Peter was stable, but still unconscious with all the morphine and anaesthetics in his system. Stephen had removed the bullet successfully, and stopped the bleeding and repaired as much of the damage to the surrounding tissue as possible. Luckily, no bones nor nerves seemed to be affected, which would make for a speedier recovery. The surgery was quite successful, but that was not all that the doctor did.

“Peter started bleeding internally into his abdominal cavity, so I had to go in to stop the bleeding. He must have fallen when he was shot, or the stress was just too much on his body. But, the bleeding has stopped now and he is stable. You can go in and see him, but he will be asleep for quite a while. He needs the rest.”

Tony shot up from his char like a fired bullet and headed to where Stephen was pointing, leaving Bucky and Steve to jog after him to catch up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading! I'd love to know what you guys think hehe... 
> 
> Also follow me on Tumblr professional-benaddict and Bree too on questionablewritings


	2. The White Box With The Red Handle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter wakes up after, and Bucky starts to suspect something.

Tony, Bucky and Steve were all waiting in the ward-like room in the underground clinic. The walls were not as damp here, but still Tony could hear water dripping somewhere. The sound was borderline annoying and hypnotising. The three gang members had barely spoken, since what was there to be said anyway? They had already thanked the doctor for saving Peter, so all that remained was to wait.

Peter woke up groggy as all get out. He felt loopy, and unconnected to reality as his eyelashes flutter open. It felt like no time has passed since the moment he passed out in the back of the car. But, Peter could tell by the heavy patch against his shoulder and the intense medicine working its way through his system that something had happened. A soft groan fell past his lips as he forced himself more awake, alerting those around that he was conscious. His fingers travelled down his body, feeling the bandage from the bullet wound. But, also another one much lower and on his side. Peter’s eyebrows furrowed, glancing down and removing the covers around him to get a better look. 

“Tony?” Peter called out in weak voice, sounding more scared than he intended. When Peter finally stirred, Tony was up in an instant and pushed Peter to lay back down. 

“Hey, shhh, it’s okay, Daddy’s here.” He said soothingly, leaning down so that his forehead was pressed against Peter’s. He kissed the boy hungrily, taking his breath away for a second. “You’re okay, you’re okay.” He repeated, more to himself than for Peter.

Peter’s panic settled the instant Tony came to his side. He fell back against the makeshift hospital bed, blinking over towards Steve and Bucky. How long had he been out? He was relieved to find out he had lived, but how long would his recovery be? It was Steve who registered the confusion on Peter’s face. The man stood, straightening out his shirt and clearing his throat. 

“Should we get the doctor in here to explain things or? Peter might take the news better if it came from you, sir.” Steve suggested, motioning to the patch on Peter’s side. Peter frowned, once again looking down to inspect the random wound. 

“What happened to my side, Daddy?” Peter asked quietly, sounding so small and fragile with a hint of fear.

“Yeah, get Strange. He wanted to see how Peter’s doing as soon as he woke up.” Tony said, craning his neck to face the bodyguard, but kept his hand in Peter’s curls. Bucky volunteered to go and once he left, Tony looked at Peter and sighed a little. “You started bleeding internally, so the doctor had to stop it, baby. He’ll explain more, but he said you’re okay now. You’re okay, baby.” Tony tried to explain, but his voice was starting to break, so he could not talk much without sounding as pathetic as ever. The boss still had an image to keep up when Steve was still in the room.

Peter frowned, too drugged up to fully understand what Tony was explaining. All he knew was, his lover was close to tears. It broke Peter’s heart. He reached up, arm restricted just slightly by the IV stuck deep in the crook of his inner elbow. 

“I’m okay.” Peter repeated, his tone more solid than Tony’s. “Though, I don’t think I’ll be much use as a distraction anymore.” Peter added with a laugh. He turned towards the door, weary of this doctor that they had been talking about. Steve was pretending to be busy with standing by the door, sturdy and protective while also giving the boss his space. He knew Tony did not like to show a weakness to anyone besides his baby boy.

“Hey!” Tony chuckled tearily, pushing Peter down to lay down, but leaned down himself so that they were still close. “This is just an excuse for me to see you naked all the time. Cause I’ll take care of you, baby, I promise that.” He promised, taking one of the boy’s hands in his and kissing his knuckles sweetly. 

Peter, through the medicines haze, cracked a smile at Tony’s little joke. He shook his head, but felt nothing but happiness upon being affectionate with his boyfriend. A few moments later, Bucky returned with Stephen in tow and the doctor smiled at seeing his patient conscious. The doctor was still in his scrubs from earlier when Peter and the rest had first arrived, but he now also wore a zip up hoodie on top. The underground clinic was not exactly the warmest place, nor very welcoming. But, Stephen does not make money on bedside manners anyway. 

“So, you’re finally up. I’ve heard a lot about you, Peter, although we have never formally met. I’m Stephen Strange.” The doctor introduced himself, but he did not force Peter to shake hands with him. 

“He was the one who saved you, baby.” Tony smiled a little sadly, still kissing at Peter’s hand.

When the doctor came through the door, Pete turned his eyes onto him, shocked. The man was gorgeous, and looked nothing like what Pete expected an underground clinician to look like. The doctor stood tall, with broad shoulders and a focused gaze. He looked like someone who valued efficiency and productivity above all else. In some ways, Tony was the same, just in another field of work. 

“Thank you, sir.” Peter automatically stated, licking at his lips. He squeezed Tony’s hand for comfort and then once again found himself motioning towards his side. “I’m sorry that I caused you guys so much stress.” He added, talking to both Stephen and his medical team, as well as his own mafia family.

“Oh, baby, don’t say such things. It’s our fault we didn’t realise what was going on soon enough. I’m a fucking idiot.” Tony apologised, which he never did. Except for Peter. 

“Okay, I think we should let Peter rest now.” Stephen decided, seeing how emotional the situation was getting and how it was making Peter’s heart rate and blood pressure increase. “Would you guys mind leaving us for a while? I’ll just check how the stitches are holding up.”

Peter wanted to disagree, to correct Tony and let him know that none of this was his fault. It had been Peter who had begged to be brought along. He was tired of waiting back at the warehouse while his Daddy went off and did business. Instead though, Peter only had enough time to brush Tony’s knuckles along his lips and gave him a reassuring smile. 

“Go get me some food?” Peter asked, knowing Tony could use a distraction. “Something with lots of chocolate.” He added, playfully smirking. When asked to leave, Bucky and Steve were quick to pay their respects. They both quietly exited the room, and waited outside the door for their boss to follow.

“So, how you feeling?” Stephen asked once he was alone with Peter and checked the monitors. “You lost quite a lot of blood, so if you feel terrible, that’s why.” The doctor chuckled a little.

Peter grimaced now that his loved ones were out of the room. He felt horrible, but at least he had some pain meds to get him through. Pete tried to sit himself up, groaning in the process. 

“I’ve felt better.” Peter responded truthfully. His side hurt quite a lot, as did his shoulder. “I bled internally?” He then asked, sounding extremely concerned. For a moment, he was finding it hard to remember what could have caused that, but then again, everything after getting shot was rather hazy.

“Yeah, your BP dropped and we found a bleed in your abdomen on the ultrasound. You must have fallen when you first got shot.” Stephen explained, pulling the blankets down to see the bandage on Peter’s left side. He was pleased to still find it white and clean and then looked up to meet the boy’s tired eyes. “So, I went in and stopped the bleed and you should make a full recovery. But, you might want to ask Stark to get you a physical therapist for the shoulder.”

“No, I’ll be all right…” Peter replied automatically, not wanting to cause Tony even more trouble and strain. Getting himself shot was enough. Besides, did not most adults complain of shoulder pain anyway, Peter thought to himself. Straightening up, Stephen raised one brow at his latest patient and watched as he struggled to put up a convincing argument. “That’s- that’s not necessary.”

“If you say so.” Stephen muttered and moved on. “How’s the pain? I can increase your morphine.” 

Once again, Peter argued that he was just fine, but the doctor was not fooled in the slightest. So, he increased the flow of the IV drip regardless, and Peter quickly fell more still. His breathing evened out, indicating relief as the pain eased off, which sent him off into unconsciousness again. With Peter knocked out again and resting, Stephen left the makeshift ward with his hands in his pockets. However, the doctor barely had time to round the corner before he was stopped by someone clearing their throat, a clear indication to halt. 

“Just one question, doc.” Bucky started, and straightened up from where he had been leaning against the wall right outside of the ward. Stephen kept his back turned to the bodyguard, but he did halt and tilt his head slightly to show that he was listening. Further down one of the tunnels in the underground system, some water dripped down to the floor. The sound echoed off the walls in a way that made it hard to pinpoint where the noise actually came from. “Just how does one start bleeding internally from falling?” 

“If you fall hard enough-“ 

“Bull.” Bucky shot back. 

“Look.” Stephen started and turned his head more to see Bucky out of the corner of his eye, but his back was turned still. “You brought the kid in, I saved him. I’m giving him the best morphine I have to keep him comfortable, and I’ll admit I don’t do that with everyone who stumbles in here.” 

“I know you did something.” Bucky accused, but Stephen just scoffed in return and started walking again. 

“Yeah, I saved the kid’s life.” The doctor called out, making his voice echo off of the bare and damp tile walls of the underground clinic. The sound could be intimating to some, along with the rest of the eerie sounds coming from underground, but not to Bucky, and he watched with keen eyes as the doctor walked off. 

An hour later, when Tony and Steve returned with food, Bucky was still stood outside of the ward on patrol like a guard dog. In one hand, Tony had a plastic bag with what looked like one of the Chinese takeaway places in town that Peter likes. From the top of the bag, Bucky could also see a Ben and Jerry’s brownie ice cream pint peaking through. In his other hand, Tony had his own suit jacket, which still had some blood stains on it. Peter’s blood. The sight made Bucky take a leap and get Tony’s attention. He had to say something about Strange. 

“Boss, I don’t think-“ 

“Buck.” It was Steve who stopped him, while Tony breezed past them and onto the ward to see Peter, as if nothing mattered but his boy. And in many ways that was the truth. “He’s not like himself.” Steve whispered to Bucky, glancing over at their boss. But, Bucky would not back down, not when his gut was telling him something was seriously wrong. 

“We have to get out of here.” 

“What-“

“It’s Strange. I don’t trust him.” 

“Well, neither do I, but all that matters is that he takes care of Peter till he is back on his feet.” Steve argued back, keeping his voice down to prevent Tony, and Peter for that matter, from hearing their conversation. 

“Steve, I think he did something. To Peter.” Bucky specified, but at the same time left it hanging. After all, he was not sure what exactly the doctor had done, but it was something. Sure, this place was eerie, but the most concerning was the doctor, But, Steve did not seem to agree. 

“Yeah, he saved Peter’s life. He needs to stay here. We can’t take him to the hospital, but he can’t go home yet either. Just a few days, all right?” Steve reasoned, and gave Bucky that smile that could put anyone at ease. Usually, it worked on Bucky, but not this time. While Steve left to follow Tony into the ward, the dark haired bodyguard was left with his gut feeling and overwhelming urge to do something despite Steve telling him to not go after it. However, it was implicit, and not an order from the boss himself, so technically there was nothing stopping Bucky from doing something. 

But, what to do? The underground clinic seemed to be an abandoned tube station. The clinic itself was luke warm and clean, but now and then one could feel a cold breeze coming from one of the darker tunnels. The room that the mafia family of four had arrived in the night before was to the left of the ward where Bucky still was. That was where the makeshift OR was as well, hidden and protected by plastic. The plastic covers were not transparent, but one could make out silhouettes from behind it. To the right of the ward was what Bucky guessed to be a supply closet. If he recalled correctly, it was where the two other medical professionals had come from to assist Stephen for Peter’s surgery. 

A doorknob creaked and Bucky averted his eyes to see a man exit the supply closet. The man, who he guessed to be Mordo, spared him a quick glance before looking at his phone and hurried to the main room of the clinic where Stephen had gone earlier. At the realisation of an excellent opportunity, Bucky crossed the hallway to the supply closet and cracked the door open. Checking that no one was inside, the bodyguard slipped inside. 

At first glance, Bucky realised that the room was not just a supply closet, but also some sort of lab. There were two fridges in the far corner of the room, and to the left there was one freezer. Up against the wall on the right, there were tall and warehouse-like shelves for what looked like sterile packages. Masks, gowns, gloves, caps and loads more that Bucky could not identify. Was it even possible to get so much stuff on the black market? Surely hospitals kept strict record of supplies, which would make stealing nearly impossible, at least in such big quantities. 

On the adjacent wall to the supplies, there was a long table with vials of what Bucky guessed was blood. At closer inspection, Bucky actually found a vial with Peter’s blood. The date on the label also matched when they had arrived the night before. Moving on from the lab stuff, Bucky’s eyes shifted to the fridges and freezer. Perhaps there was more there. Opening the first fridge, Bucky found a large variety of medication in clear bottles. Looking at the labels, the bodyguard found five bottles of morphine, and he scoffed as he remembered how the doctor had said how sparsely he uses the pain reliving drug. 

When Bucky moved onto the second fridge, he expected more medication, but paused as his eyes fell upon six white boxes on two different shelves in the fridge. Each box had a red handle at the top and a label on the side. Bucky tasted bile in his mouth when he realised what the boxes where. Organ transport boxes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading! If anyone has seen 'Temple' with Mark Strong, then this is definitely inspired by that. It's a hella good show so highly recommend it.


	3. The Red That You See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter starts to feel better, while Strange is confronted.

Peter ate way more than he wanted to. The ice cream that he usually could eat a whole pint of in one sitting, was now making him more nauseous than ever, even after just a few spoonfuls. Besides, he could barely focus on swallowing the ice cream when he was overwhelmed with the feeling of his body not feeling like his anymore. The extreme fatigue and exhaustion was new and strange to him. He had not felt this weak in over 6 years. 

But, Peter ate, for Tony’s sake. He could see that his much older boyfriend looked heartbroken. His eyes were sunken, and lacked that edge and fire that made him the best in his field. Usually, Tony also held his head high, like a proud lion would. Now, he looked like a kicked puppy, which was mostly Peter’s look. Tony had had a similar look when Peter had threatened with leaving him a few years ago. 

“Why don’t you have some?” Peter suggested kindly, to try and cheer Tony up, but also to spare his stomach. He hardly dared to imagine the pain vomiting would cause him, so perhaps now was the time to refuse more food from Tony. The boy gently pushed the pint of ice cream closer to Tony’s torso while he held it in his hand. In the other, the boss held a plastic spoon with some brownie ice cream on it still where Peter had not lapped up all of it. 

“Baby, you need energy. Even if that is just sugar.” Tony chuckled, but there was a teary and sad hint to it. Like he was begging Peter to get better, and fast, and he scooped up some more ice cream onto the spoon before offering Peter. Steve, who had been observing for a while from across the ward, decided to step in. 

“Boss, I think you’ve fed him well already.” Steve said, hoping that his boss would take praise easier than criticism. “Why don’t we let Peter rest? I can bring you back to the mansion so you can shower, sir.” 

But, still Tony took offence to Steve’s motherly-ness. 

“Is there something you want to say, Rogers?” Tony snapped and turned on his chair next to Peter’s bed to face his bodyguard. More than used to this, Steve kept his head up and blinked calmly at his boss. Sensing the tension in the room and like the sweetheart he is, Peter tried to stop the two men before guns where pulled out. That had happened before, and Peter would rather not have to deal with that now.

“Daddy…” Peter pleaded, but it still took a few seconds and for the boy to actually reach out take his boyfriend’s hand. Only then, did Tony shift his focus back to Peter and away from Steve. 

“I’m sorry, baby, shit- I’m sorry.” Tony apologised right away, looking pained with his brows furrowed. But, if it was genuine, that was debatable. “This is all about you. Rogers should just fuck off and leave us alone, yeah?” The boss said kindly to Peter, but the stab in his tone towards the bodyguard was not subtle in the slightest. 

Deciding not to pick a fight, Steve stood up and straightened his work suit while clearing his throat. He was used to being told to ‘fuck off’, so he was not fazed. Instead, he was worried about leaving Peter alone with Tony. The older man was clearly unstable, and Steve had his doubts about whether Tony was sympathising or empathising with Peter. Either way, Steve and Bucky work for Tony, so they must obey him, even if he is unreasonable at times. At least Peter was here to keep Tony in a good mood, so he better recover quickly for all their sakes. 

To still keep an eye on Peter and Tony, Steve went to stand outside of the makeshift ward. In the quiet hallway, Steve’s mind began wandering to when Peter had first joined their little family. On one long and hot summer night, Tony had found him wandering the streets aimlessly. The boss had told that Peter had clearly run away from home, since his duffel bag had a sports team’s logo that belonged to a town hours away. Tony had followed Peter with his car for a while until the boy confronted him. He refused Tony twice when the older man asked him to hop in, but he gave in on the third try. According to Tony, Peter had hopped in because Tony had laid out a gun for him for Peter to hold Tony at gunpoint with while they drove. That way, the boy would feel safer. And it seemed to work, if you believed Tony, since here Peter was, by his side, 6 years later. 

Peter, on the other hand, recalled the events differently and had told Steve that Tony had found him at a gas station and had gotten into his Audi when Tony offered a ride. There was no mention of a gun. But, back then, Peter was still new to the whole mafia lifestyle. It took him a while to get used to Tony, Steve and Bucky being armed constantly. But, that did not stop Peter from being shot, which made Steve re-think the Glock under his suit jacket. But, when the blonde heard a sudden noise, his reflexes got the better of him and his hand reached for the gun before he could process that it was just Bucky exiting a room. Was that a supply closet he came from?

“Buck, the fuck are you-“ Steve started, but then Bucky crossed the hall to shush him. 

“Keep your voice down!” The dark-haired bodyguard whispered harshly, looking up and down the tunnel hallway. Steve kept his mouth shut, but his confusion remained. 

“What’s-“

“Some shady shit, that’s what. We have to get out of here. And don’t give me that shit about Peter needing to stay here, because then we’ll all be some cold fucking corpses!” 

“Bucky, Jesus- what are you talking about?” Steve asked, trying to keep his voice down, but the realisation that there might be something serious, and urgent, going on was making his instincts kick into high gear. 

“I found organs! Human organs, Steve! In boxes, ready to be sold. Strange is not who he says he is.” Bucky revealed. Actually saying those words made the bile climb back up his throat. “I think- I think he stole something from Peter.” 

Bucky does not need to specify what. Steve has already figured it out. Based on the additional surgical wound on Peter’s side, Steve guessed that the doctor had taken a kidney. Humans can manage with one kidney, but still, this is more offensive than words can describe. Jesus, they have to tell Tony. But, before that they need proof. 

“Did you see that it was Peter’s?” Steve asked. 

“God, I-“ Bucky stuttered out and rubbed the side of his face. “I looked at all six boxes, but there were multiple kidneys, and- and other shit. Man, I think I saw a heart!” 

“Buck, for fuck’s sake pull yourself together. You’ve seen way worse.” 

“You didn’t fucking see it…” Bucky muttered back, but quickly shut his mouth when he heard footsteps coming down from the hall. Steve had obviously heard too, and he fell into old habits and took a parade rest position, as did Bucky. The footsteps belonged to Mordo who came down from the main clinic and did not spare either of the bodyguards a look before entering the supply closet. 

Wordlessly, Steve and Bucky stepped into action and moved to either side of the door to the supply closet. Like two lone wolves teaming up for a hunt, the two bodyguards continued to communicate wordlessly and pulled their Glocks out and cocked them quietly. With bated breath, they waited for Mordo to exit again, and once he did, Steve expertly twisted his left arm behind his back while Bucky pointed his gun at his forehead. The anaesthesiologist yelped in frightened surprise, but quickly shut his mouth when Bucky lifted a finger to his lips. In his right hand, Mordo held a white box with a red handle. 

“Who’s is that?” Bucky asked, gesturing down to the organ transport box with his eyes. Mordo grinned wickedly, then groaned out in pain when Steve twisted his arm harder behind his back. 

“I’m not talking.” Mordo said, which earned him a swat across his cheek from Bucky’s gun. “Jesus! What’s that for?” 

“Where’s Strange?” 

It turned out that Stephen was actually out, and so Steve and Bucky got themselves comfortable in some chairs in the main clinic. While they waited for the doctor to return, like Mordo had promised, the bodyguards twiddled with their guns. After tying up Mordo on the floor and gagging him, Wong had shown up as well and the mafia guards had no trouble catching him too and giving him the same treatment as his coworker. Now, they were sat next to each other, hands tied behind their backs and gags in their mouths. As if they were going to talk either way. Bucky had to give them something, they were at least loyal to their boss. But, so was he and Steve to their own boss. 

After tying up the surgical nurse and anaesthesiologist, Steve and Bucky had the situation under control. They just hoped Tony wouldn’t walk out anytime soon to see all this. Due to the boss’ current unstable mindset, the bodyguards decided to keep him out of this. At least until they had proof. But, God, the more they thought of it, the more certain they were that Stephen and his employees had stolen Peter’s kidney to sell it. 

All four in the main clinic perked up a bit at the sound of a heavy metal door opening and closing with a thud. While footsteps echoed from the staircase leading up to the surface, Bucky and Steve exchanged a quick look and Steve got up with his gun still cocked. Hiding behind by the wall to the entrance, Steve waited for Stephen to enter. The doctor barely got to mutter out a confused ‘what the hell’ before he shut his mouth at the feeling of a cold gun barrel being pressed to the back of his neck. Mordo and Wong looked defeated, but not surprised at seeing Steve holding their coworker at gunpoint too. 

“You got some explaining to do.” Steve started from behind the doctor. 

“I think you do, actually. Why do you have my coworkers tied up?” 

“What’s in the box?” Steve barked and used the gun to push Stephen’s attention to the white box with the red handle on the floor. 

“Why don’t you ask your boss about that?” Stephen chuckled out, standing up straight again. He even dared to turn around to face Steve, as if there was no gun being pointed at him. Bucky was almost impressed at the doctor’s confidence. 

“I’m asking the questions, asshole! What’s in the box? And all the other boxes in the fridges?” Steve continued interrogating. 

“You must be awfully confused, Rogers.” Stephen purred, but did take a step back when the blonde guard pushed the gun in between his eyes. 

“You better wipe off that shit eating grin right now and start answering my questions, or I’ll paint these hideous walls with the insides of your head.” Steve threatened, and based on experience, Bucky knew that he was not kidding. 

“I’m telling you, Rogers. You should ask Stark about this.” Stephen continued to speak calmly, but with a bit more edge now. In his fury, Steve did not seem to catch not the hint, and growled at the doctor before punching him square in the face. But, Bucky had realised, and looked up at his partner. 

“Steve…” 

While the doctor groaned and bled on the floor, Steve turned to Bucky. At first, Steve shook his head, refusing to believe what the doctor was hinting at and how Bucky seemed to be believing him. This could not be true, there was no way. Did Tony… 

“No.” 

“Steve…!”

“Keep ‘em in check!” Steve barked and gestured to the three hostages before running down to the ward. But, his heart didn’t pound at the adrenaline of this whole hostage thing, nor the running, but rather at the awful idea of Tony being behind all this. There was no way. No way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading! For those re reading after reading on my Tumblr, y'all know what's coming hehe...


	4. The A+ Blood Type

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth is revealed, and life somehow goes on.

Reaching the ward door, Steve tried to steady his shaky legs. He couldn’t remember being this terrified since going to his first active war zone. It seemed like another lifetime, but at the same time he was right back in that dessert. Although Bucky being at his side remained the same, his trust towards his superiors was not the same. But, he still tried his hardest to enter quietly and calmly. Oh, God, how could he face Peter? 

Luckily, Peter seemed to be fast asleep on his bed, and peacefully at that, with no pained lines on his face nor any fists clenching at sheets. He lay there perfectly still, breathing calmly and slowly. Nothing could disturb his peace, or so Steve hoped at least. Next to the bed, Tony was leaning over with one of Peter’s hands clasped in his own, and his lips brushing over his knuckles tenderly. Without turning his attention away from Peter, Tony spoke to Steve who had entered. 

“What?” 

“Uhm- boss? Strange and the others would like to speak with you.” Steve lied, when actually he was the one who wanted to speak with him. Giving Peter’s hand one last kiss, Tony rose from his bedside and straightened his shirt. His tie was loosened, and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. 

“This better be important.” Tony mused as he headed to the door. Steve had to bite his tongue to stop himself from spilling it all out right there and then. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and brought him back to the present as he followed his boss to the main clinic. 

When they rounded the corner, and Tony lay his eyes on the scene in front of him with all Stephen, Mordo and Wong all tied up, the boss subconsciously pulled out his own gun. His fingers had been itching for it ever since Peter had gotten shot, but he did not point it at anyone. 

“What the hell is going on here?” Tony asked his bodyguards who were clearly at fault for this. Bucky swore he saw Stephen’s lips twitch into a smile behind his gag. 

“Boss, listen.” Bucky started and approached Tony, with gun still in hand, but he held it all relaxed. Their hostages did not exactly pose a threat in their current states of immobility and bondage. “We all saw Peter got shot, right? You caught him when he fell, and you held him until you passed him over to us, right? How could he have hurt his stomach and started bleeding internally from that?”

“Buck, what are you trying to-“

“No, no, listen! That just doesn’t make fucking sense. We found organs, human organs, in the supply closets. These fuckers are stealing organs from the people they are so called helping!” Bucky accused and pointed to the three hostages on the floor. Stephen seemed to perk up a bit at being addressed, and Steve could see that he was trying to escape from his bonds. While Bucky continued, Steve stepped closer and held the gun at Stephen again to keep him still. 

“What are you saying, Buck?” Tony asked. Bucky had to swallow thickly to get his voice to cooperate. 

“Sir, they stole Peter’s kidney.” 

Tony sniffled the air at that and blinked calmly. Bucky did not understand any of it. Why hadn’t Tony shot Stephen and his helpers already?

“Tony, they-“ 

“What makes you think they did?” Tony asked, not fazed at all. Baffled at the question, but still obedient, Bucky went and grabbed the organ transport box that Mordo had brought out. 

“What blood type is Peter?” Bucky asked, but when Tony seemed reluctant to answer, the bodyguard repeated his question. “What blood type is he?!”

“A+.” 

“A+, and what’s in here, huh?” Bucky asked rhetorically, and opened the white box to reveal a human organ in a plastic bag, surrounded by sterile ice. When Steve saw the kidney himself, he gagged a bit, but tried his best to hide it. “A human fucking kidney, marked as blood type A+ and the date when we arrived. Is that not proof enough? Or should we get the doctor to cut Peter open again and we’ll see that he is missing an organ?” 

Bucky was worked up, clearly. There was sweat dripping down his brow and his eyes were wide, like a predators’ eyes during a hunt. But, that did not make Tony the prey, but rather a rival predator. How could he be a part of the pack if he was so unfazed at the revelation that the doctor had turned on them behind their backs and harmed Peter like that? Unless…. 

“You will not tell Peter about this. Ever. Is that understood?” Tony ordered calmly, and both Steve and Bucky felt their shoulders deflate. 

“Boss-“ Bucky started, only to be cut off by Tony bellowing. 

“Is that understood?!” 

“You fucking knew…” Bucky breathed out, like he had been kicked in the chest. And in a way, he very much had been. 

“You fucking asshole.” Steve said through gritted teeth, his gun still pointed at Stephen, but the daggers behind his words were aimed at Tony. “How could you do that? You love Peter! And more importantly, he loves you. He would die for you, and this is how you treat him?” 

“You both know money is tight, so I had to. We’ll be getting fifty percent of Peter’s kidney later today. That is if you release Strange, so he can make the deal happen.” Tony said, and tipped his head down as a command to release the hostages. But, Steve nor Bucky gave in that easily. 

“What? And we’ll be coming back here so that ass can take Peter’s other kidney for even more cash?” Bucky accused Tony, his nostrils flaring. But, the boss took it as a joke and chuckled. 

“I’ll find other ways to use Peter. You’ll all be busy bees soon.” Tony said to both his bodyguards. “Now, release them.” The boss repeated before returning to the ward to see Peter, and this time Bucky and Steve did obey and cut the ropes around Stephen, Mordo and Wong’s hands with their pocketknives. 

All three of the medical professional rose from the floor and shoved the mafia guards away from them, then rubbed at their sore wrists. Stephen was the first to look at the bodyguards after stretching out his arms, and he came up to Steve with his head high again, just as confident as before. Then, swinging his left hand back, the doctor punched Steve square in the face as payback. He would have punched with his right dominant hand to get maximum strength and impact, but that could result in injury to his own hand as well, and that could affect his surgical skills. Still, blood gushed out of Steve’s nose, and the blonde cursed multiple times while trying to pinch his nose to stop the bleed. Once again, Steve tasted metallic blood in his mouth. 

A week later, Peter was back on his feet, at least for a few minutes at a time. Tony was helping him walk up and down the ward multiple times a day, like the doctor had instructed to aid the recovery process. For each day that passed, Peter was looking more and more like himself, and feeling like it too. On the fifth day, he had enough energy to actually get up and brush his teeth. The boy would never have guessed that he would miss brushing his teeth. On that same day, Stephen had made the transfer of the fifty percent that he had promised Tony, and the latter was very much pleased at seeing the four zeros in his bank account. In his good mood, Tony was even more encouraging and outright dotting as he helped Peter walk later that afternoon. 

“Ahh, thanks, Daddy. I gotta watch my step more from now on.” Peter chuckled breathily, and placed a gentle hand on top of the bandage on his side. “I can’t be keeping you from work too long.” Watching the two from across the ward, Steve bit his tongue. 

“I’ll be right here, baby, always. I’m not going anywhere and you don’t have to worry about the money. I got it all covered, so you don’t focus on being pretty, like always.” Tony smiled sweetly in reply and kissed the boy’s temple. That was the final drop, and Steve had to physically leave the ward to gather himself. Out in the hall, he met Bucky and sighed heavily. 

“How do we live with this? Peter doesn’t know shit, and- Tony’s acting like nothing happened?”

“We- we just don’t tell Peter.” Bucky sighed just as heavily. 

And they kept that promise. A month later, when life was returning more or less back to normal at the mansion, Bucky and Steve continued to work for Tony. And so did Peter, or at least as much as he could muster while still healing from his two surgeries. The boy still slept most of the time, but when he was awake, he was always eager to help Tony with his business. 

On one particularly hot summer evening, while Tony was working in his office, Peter was lounging around the mansion in nothing except what seemed like a thong peaking out from under a pair of low cut denim shorts. Steve and Bucky were both stood outside of the office door, in their usual work suits. In the same hallway, Peter was pacing back and forth, clearly eager for his older boyfriend to finish his work so that they could spend some time together. 

With Peter’s torso bare, one could easily see the two scars on his body. The one on his shoulder had knots of skin in the center where the bullet had penetrated, then two straight lines crossing it laterally from the scalpel. But, then there was the perfectly straight line just below his last rib on his left side. Bucky and Steve had been watching that one all afternoon. 

“Do you think it’s ugly?” Peter asked sadly, making Bucky and Steve snap out of their shared daydream, or more like nightmare, about how that scar came to be. And Peter had no idea…

“Oh, God, no, Peter! I’m sorry, I just- I haven’t seen it yet is all.” Bucky covered up as best as he could and let his fingers gently take hold of the boy’s forearm. He wasn’t going to let the boy go believing he wasn’t the most stunning creature on Earth. “You’re a beauty, Peter, you know that?”

“You’re just as stunning as before.” Steve added to comfort Peter. 

“I know.” Peter giggled, looking up at Bucky while batting his lashes. “You said that the first time Tony introduced us.” 

“I believe I said you were ‘fucking stunning’ and then Tony had told me not to speak to you like that.” Bucky chuckled, and Peter giggled along. Steve couldn’t help but chuckle too. The boy made the sun almost look pale with how he was beaming with goodness and beauty. 

“And you didn’t listen.” The boy pointed out to Bucky. 

“No, I didn’t.” Bucky admitted with a shrug of his shoulder. They three of them laughed softly, and for a few seconds life was just like before. Before all that happened. 

“Does it hurt still?” Steve asked and ghosted both his hands over Peter’s scars on each side of his body. The boy shook his head. 

“No, it’s just harder to move still. Like- Tony and I’ll tried it last week, but I couldn’t handle it.” Peter admitted with a nervous giggle. “But, we are going to try again tonight.” He added more hopefully. 

“Just let me know if you need any help.” Bucky said cheekily from behind Peter, making the boy giggle again. But, the boy did not stay much longer since he saw the office door open and Tony exited. Like a puppy, Peter bounced over to him and let himself be embraced by his boyfriend. The boss’ hands held onto the boy’s back possessively. 

“Hey, bambino. You’re dressed lightly, you tease. Couldn’t wait for Daddy to finish his work, huh?” Tony said all condescendingly with a purr, and Bucky and Steve watched Peter lap it up. The boy swayed his hips, and whispered something into Tony’s ear that made him growl and grab onto Peter’s ass, making him yelp then giggle. 

In that moment, Bucky and Steve exchanged a look. They both knew they couldn’t ever leave. Not because they both had a deal with Tony to protect him from his enemies for the rest of their life, but because now they had to protect Peter from Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading! This might not be the end of this story, so I'd love to hear yalls ideas!! Also, bookmark and/or subscribe to my user to get a notification when I update this one c: I'll see y'all then lovelies xx


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